Review Detail

LITTLE BLACK HOLE is a cute, fictional account of what it would like to be a black hole. Little Black Hole feels lonely - every time she makes new friends, it seems like they disappear. It doesn't seem to matter who she meets, including astronauts, a space fox, a comet, and stars, but just as they are having a good time, they end up disappearing. One day, she meets a Big Black Hole, and they talk about how she is feeling. The big black hole tells her to hold onto her memories of the friends who have gone and enjoy those - and Little Black Hole doesn't feel so lonely.

What I loved: This is a really cute story about friendships that change over time, and the ways that we can celebrate and hold on to our memories of those friendships even when they are gone. The illustrations are lush and evocative, bringing out the emotions of the black hole but also of the others she encounters along the way. The writing has a great rhythm to it as well, especially with repetitive memories of her friends listed out. The length is great for elementary school-aged picture book readers, who will also empathize with feeling lonely and understand the sadness that comes when friendships change over time.

What left me wanting more: As a small thing, there is not much information about black holes in the actual story plot, though the book does include some good backmatter descriptions of the basics in some paragraphs for children who want to learn more.

Final verdict: LITTLE BLACK HOLE is an overall cute story about friendship, loneliness, and the importance of our memories with a touch of science. Recommend for elementary school aged readers.